Corner fastener for collapsible wire crate



H. B. BUSSING CORNER FASTENER FOR COLLAPSIBLEI WIRE CRATE March 5, 1957 Filed Feb. 5, 1954 United States Patent i CORNER FASTENER FOR COLLAPSIBLE WIRE CRATE Harold B. Bussing, Albion, Mich., assignor to Union Steel Products Company, Albion, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 5, 1954, Serial No. 408,331

6 Claims. (Cl. 220-7) This invention relates to corner fastener for collapsible wire crate.

The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a crate suitable for pallets, skids and the like having swingably associated walls with means for locking the walls in erected position, which means may be easily Operated to locking and unlocking positions and retained in both positions by gravity.

Second, to provide a structure having these advantages in which the parts are so formed and arranged that they are not likely to be injured even under severe usage conditions.

Third, to provide a structure having these advantages which is economical in its parts and the assembly thereof.

Other objects relating to details and economies of the invention will be apparent from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a walled pallet embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing adjacent walls in locked position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view with the bolt in retracted position, the handle being shown independing position which looks the bolt in retracted posi-' tion by full lines and in bolt shifting position by dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in section on a line corresponding to line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal view on a line corresponding to line 55 in Fig. 3. i

I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a materials handling pallet the deck 1 of which is supported by the support members 2 provided with legs 3. The details of the deck form no part of this invention and are therefore not further described.

The crate walls designated generally by the numerals 4 and 5 are formed of spaced parallel horizontal slats 6 and spaced parallel vertical slats 7. These slats are welded together at their crossing points as indicated at 8, Fig. 5. The wall 5 is provided with a loop-like keeper 9 which projects through an opening 19 in the wall 4 when the walls are in erected position. The hinging connection for the wall 4 to an adjacent wall is indicated at 1.1. Laterally spaced bolt supports "'12 formed of wire or light rod and having eyes 13 at their upper ends are welded to the outer sides of at least a pair of horizontal slats 6 of the wall 4 with the eyes aligned with the keeper 9. The bolt 14 is desirably a section of round rod and is supported by the eyes 13 for longitudinal and rotative adjustment therein.

The arms 15 of the loop-like handle 16 are inwardly offset at their ends and fixedly secured as by welding as indicated at 1'? to the inner side of the bolt 14. The inward offset of one of the arms constitutes a stop 18 coacting with the adjacent vertical slat 19 to hold the bolt both in its projected position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 2,783,911 l atented Man 5, 1957 'ice and in which position the stop 18 is at the front side of the slat 19, and in its retracted position in which the stop 18 is at the other side or rear side of the slat 19. The handle 16 is of considerable length and holds the bolt in both its locking and unlocking positions by gravity. The swinging end or bight end 20 of the handle is bent or ofiset inwardly so that when the handle is in depending position, particularly when the bolt is in projected position, the end of the handle projects inwardly between adjacent slats so that the bolt is not likely to be accidentally disengaged from the keeper. It will be understood that these pallets are likely to be subjected to severe usage as they are handled by lifting trucks, stacked one upon another and arranged closely in side by side relation, and therefore it is important that the collapsible walls be locked securely in erected position and by means not likely to be accidentally disengaged or unlocked.

To manipulate the bolt the handle is grasped and swung upwardly to the position indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 and in this position the bolt can be either projected to locking position or retracted.

The eye of the inner support eoacts with the handle to limit the retracting movement of the bolt in all positions of the handle. The keeper and the bolt supports are both on the outer sides of the horizontal slats of the walls to which they are attached which greatly facilitates the attachment thereof as by resistance welding. The bolt is effectively retained both in projected and retracted positions and at the same time is very easily manipulated from one position to the other.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a practical commercial embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate other embodiments or adaptations which I contemplate as I believe that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a crate including a bottom and side walls, at least one of which comprises spaced horizontal and spaced vertical slats, and an adjacent wall having a loop-like keeper projecting from the end thereof to be disposed through an opening of the said slatted wall, laterally spaced bolt supports secured to the slatted wall and provided with eyes disposed vertically on the outer sides of at least a pair of the horizontal slats with the eyes of the supports aligned with the said keeper when the walls are erected, there being at least one vertical slat between said bolt supports, a bolt slidably and rotatably supported in said support eyes, and a U-shaped handle having inward offsets at the ends of its arms secured to the bolt and disposed on the inner side thereof when the handle is in a depending position, one of said offsets constituting a stop coacting with the opposite sides of said one vertical slat to hold the bolt in its projected or retracted positions with the handle in depending position to which it is normally returned and retained by gravity, the handle stop clearing the coacting slat when the handle is swung to an upward position and the bolt slid longitudinally of itself, the inner arm of the handle being disposed outwardly of the inner of the supports, the inner of the supports constituting a stop coacting with the inner arm of the handle to limit the retracting movement of the bolt in any position of the handle.

2. In a crate including a bottom and side walls, at least one of which comprises spaced horizontal and spaced vertical slats, and an adjacent wall having a loop-like keeper projecting from the end thereof to be disposed through an opening ofthe said slatted wall, laterally spaced bolt supports secured to the slatted wall and provided with eyes aligned with the said keeper when the walls are erected, there being at least one vertical slat between said bolt supports, a bolt slidably and rotatably supported in said support eyes, and a U-shaped handle having inward offsets at the ends of its arms secured to the bolt and disposed on the inner side thereof when the handle is in a depending position, one of said offsets constituting a stop coacting with the opposite sides of said one vertical slat to hold the bolt in its projected or retracted positions with the handle in depending position to which it is normally returned and retained by gravity, the handle stop clearing the coacting slat when the handle is swung to an upward position and the bolt slid longitudinally of itself, the inner arm of the handle being disposed outwardly of the inner of the supports, the inner of the supports constituting a stop coacting with the inner arm of the handle to limit the retracting movement of the bolt in any position of the handle.

3. In a crate including a bottornand side walls, at least one of which comprises spaced horizontal and spaced vertical slats, and an adjacent wall having a U-shaped keeper projecting from the end thereof to be disposed through an opening of the said slatted wall, laterally spaced bolt supports secured to the slatted wall and provided with eyes aligned with the said keeper when the walls are erected, there being at least one vertical slat between said bolt supports, a bolt slidably and rotatably supported in said support eyes, and a U-shaped handle having inward offsets at the ends of its arms secured to the bolt and disposed on the inner side thereof when the handle is in a depending position, one of said offsets constituting a stop coacting with the opposite sides of said one vertical slat to hold the bolt in its projected or retracted positions with the handle in depending position to which it is normally returned and retained by gravity, the handle stop clearing the coacting slat when the handle is swung to an upward position.

4. In a crate including a bottom and side walls, at least one of which comprises spaced horizontal and spaced vertical slats, and an adjacent wall having a loop-like keeper projecting from the end thereof to be disposed through an opening of the said slatted wall, laterally spaced bolt supports secured to the slatted wall and provided with eyes aligned with the said keeper when the walls are erected, there being at least one vertical slat between said bolt supports, a bolt slidably and rotatably supported in said support eyes, and a U-shaped handle having inward offsets at the ends of its arms secured to t the bolt and disposed on the inner side thereof when the handle is in a depending position, one of said offsets constituting a stop coacting with the said one vertical slat to hold the bolt in its projected or retracted positions with the handle in depending position to which it is normally returned and retained by gravity, the handle stop clearing the coacting slat when the handle is swung to an upward position, the bight end of the handle being offset inwardly and disposed in a guarded position between certain vertical slats of said slatted wall when the handle is in a depending position and the bolt in a projected position.

5. In a crate including a bottom and side walls, at least one of which comprises spaced horizontal and spaced vertical slats, and an adjacent wall having a loop-like keeper projecting from the end thereof to be disposed through an opening of the said slatted wall, laterally 1 spaced bolt supports secured to the slatted wall and pro v or retracted positions with the handle in depending position to which it is normally returned and retained by gravity, the handle stop clearing the coacting slat when the handle is swung to an upward position, the inner of the support eyes being disposed inwardly of said handle and constituting a stop coacting with the handle to limit the retracting movement of the bolt in any position of the handle.

6. In a crate including a bottom and side walls, at least one of which comprises spaced horizontal and spaced vertical slats, and an adjacent wall having a loop-like keeper projecting from the end thereof to be disposed through an opening of the said slatted wall, laterally spaced bolt supports secured to the slatted wall and provided with eyes aligned with said keeper when the walls are erected, there being a vertical slat between said bolt supports, a bolt slidably and rotatably supported in said support eyes, and an elongated handle having one end thereof lapped upon and fixedly secured to the inner side of the bolt, to project laterally and inwardly therefrom when the handle is in a depending position, the end of the handle secured to the bolt constituting a stop coacting with the said vertical slat to hold the bolt in its projected or retracted positions with the handle in depending position to which it is normally returned and retained by gravity, the handle stop clearing the coacting slat when the handle is swung to an upward position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 473,548 Farwell Apr. 26, 1892 657,561 Neal et al Sept. 11, 1900 798,583 Harris Aug. 29, 1905 931,735 Dickey Aug. 24, 1909 2,590,941 Coit Apr. 1, 1952 2,669,373 Coit Feb. 16, 1954 

